Rectory

CTPost.com reports : The Catholic priest busted for allegedly dealing crystal meth was suspended after church officials discovered he was a cross-dresser who was having sex in the rectory at Bridgeport's St. Augustine Cathedral . Monsignor Kevin Wallin was relieved of his duties in May, but the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport had continued to pay him a stipend until his Jan. 3 arrest -- a day he was planning to fly to London on...

By KELLY GLISTA, Kglista@courant.com and The Hartford Courant, April 15, 2014

ENFIELD — An East Windsor priest who came to the attention of law enforcement when he reported feeling threatened by a local teenager had exploited his relationship with the teen in order to gain sexual contact, according to an arrest warrant unsealed on Tuesday. The Rev. Paul Gotta, 55, is facing several sexual assault charges after he was arrested in March in connection with the alleged abuse. Gotta was indicted last year on federal firearms charges for allegedly helping the teen acquire weapons.

First, the faithful were told to share a priest with nearby St. Patrick Church. Then they watched their cherished elementary school close. Now, the Archdiocese of Hartford wants to tear down their 100-year-old rectory. This time, the dwindling Lithuanian congregation of St. Joseph Church is fighting back -- at least symbolically. Parishioners have erected dozens of small pine crosses outside the rectory, reminiscent of the famous Hill of Crosses in northern Lithuania that symbolizes the endurance of Christianity there.

Saint Bernard Church once again is holding its annual parish carnival on the grounds of the church, 424 Hazard Ave., Enfield. The carnival this year will be held from Thursday, May 30, through Saturday, June 1. The fair will run from 6 to 10 p.m. each day, and admission is free. In addition, there will be a breakfast in the church's Fitzmaurice Hall on Sunday, June 2, following the 10:30 a.m. Mass. The winning tickets to the parish's annual raffle will be drawn at the breakfast. This year's carnival features rides provided by Northeast Midways of Coventry, R.I. Wristbands will be on sale every evening for $20, entitling the purchaser to unlimited access to the fairground's rides throughout that evening.

Three brothers whose mother worked for a Catholic church in the late 1970s were all molested by a priest who threatened her job if they reported the abuse, a series of lawsuits against the Hartford Archdiocese contends. Richard, Paul and Niles Mallory allege in separate lawsuits that Ivan Ferguson, who died in 2002 at age 68, got to know them individually when they accompanied their mother to St. Bernard's Roman Catholic Church in the Tariffville section of Simsbury in 1977 and 1978.

By DAVE ALTIMARI, daltimar@courant.com and The Hartford Courant, March 16, 2013

As he stood near the front door of the Sandy Hook Elementary School on the morning of Dec. 14, shattered glass near his feet, Monsignor Robert Weiss knew he was as close to evil as he would ever get. Newtown police officers had asked the pastor of nearby St. Rose of Lima church to go into the school and bless the bodies of the 26 people, including 20 children, massacred only moments earlier by Adam Lanza. Weiss, known as Father Bob to almost everyone in the tight-knit community, was the first religious person on the scene.

A fire ravaged the rectory at St. Joseph's Church Sunday but did not interrupt Mass being celebrated at the nearby church. Nobody was hurt in the blaze, which severely damaged one of the four living quarters, but left the rectory standing. The cause is still under investigation, fire officials said. Firefighters were alerted at 8:50 a.m. after a parishioner saw smoke swirling out of a second-floor window of the rectory. Willimantic firefighters responded first to the call and were joined later by firefighters from Windham and the University of Connecticut.

The public is invited to a "blessing of the animals" service at St. Mary's Church, 626 Willard Ave., on Oct. 5 at 11 a.m. -- rain or shine. More information may be obtained by calling the rectory at (860) 666-1591.

St. Mary's Catholic War Veterans Post 1166 will meet for its monthly social Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in the parish rectory room. Various projects will be discussed, including the planned Communion breakfast held each year with the Polish National Home.

A sad longing appears in the face of Sandy, the golden Labrador retriever who was the faithful companion of the Rev. Robert Lysz. Father Lysz, 50, was murdered in St. Matthew church on June 25. Parishioners, fellow clergy, family and friends know the grief that seems evident in Sandy's watchful eyes. She searches the face of every vistor entering the rectory, no doubt hoping that they might be Father Lysz returning at last. Father Lysz found Sandy in a pound about eight years ago and took her home.

By DAVE ALTIMARI, daltimar@courant.com and The Hartford Courant, March 16, 2013

As he stood near the front door of the Sandy Hook Elementary School on the morning of Dec. 14, shattered glass near his feet, Monsignor Robert Weiss knew he was as close to evil as he would ever get. Newtown police officers had asked the pastor of nearby St. Rose of Lima church to go into the school and bless the bodies of the 26 people, including 20 children, massacred only moments earlier by Adam Lanza. Weiss, known as Father Bob to almost everyone in the tight-knit community, was the first religious person on the scene.

CTPost.com reports : The Catholic priest busted for allegedly dealing crystal meth was suspended after church officials discovered he was a cross-dresser who was having sex in the rectory at Bridgeport's St. Augustine Cathedral . Monsignor Kevin Wallin was relieved of his duties in May, but the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport had continued to pay him a stipend until his Jan. 3 arrest -- a day he was planning to fly to London on...

By ALAINE GRIFFIN and DAVID OWENS, agriffin@courant.com and The Hartford Courant, July 3, 2012

— Investigators say that when they knocked on the rectory door of St. Paul Parish last week, search warrant in hand, the priest there quickly gave up a secret. There were "inappropriate" photos and videos of children there, the Rev. Dennis Carey told police, according to court documents. And, the priest said, he was addicted to them. "Father Carey stated that he believed he knew why we were at the house with a search warrant and further explained that he had some inappropriate material on his computer," State Trooper David Aresco wrote in a seven-page arrest warrant affidavit charging Carey with first-degree possession of child pornography.

By DAVID OWENS And CHRISTINE DEMPSEY, dowens@courant.com and The Hartford Courant, August 12, 2011

The Simsbury priest charged with misdemeanor sexual assault allegedly touched an 18-year-old man's pubic area while administering confession, according to the warrant for his arrest. The Rev. Edward Warnakulasuriya was arraigned Friday in Superior Court on three counts of fourth-degree sexual assault. He said nothing during the brief hearing or as he left the courthouse. He was ordered to surrender his passport. Warnakulasuriya, who is from Sri Lanka, has been suspended by the archdiocese of Hartford.

Horace Holloman was a police officer, a teacher, a principal, a minister and, in all his callings, a distinguished leader and man of principle. He was born Dec. 21, 1925, in Norfolk, Va., one of five children of James and Elnora Holloman. He served three years in the Army before attending Florida A&M University, where he received a degree in music education and met his first wife, Ruth Beckham. He followed his wife to Connecticut, her home state, and became a Hartford police officer in 1954, serving nine years on the force.

A 39-year-old man who, along with two accomplices broke into 11 local churches to steal money for drugs, was sentenced Friday at Superior Court to eight years in prison. Mario Cioli pleaded guilty in February to 11 counts of third-degree burglary. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison, suspended after eight years, followed by five years of probation. Cases against the other defendants, Christy Roper and Allen Oakes, are pending in court. Police said that the trio took between $1,800 and $2,500 from collection boxes during the break-ins, which date to November 2007.

A thief made off with $100 worth of copper pipe from the side of the Corpus Christi Church rectory on Somerset Street Saturday, police said. The theft was reported shortly after it occurred about 8 a.m., Lt. John Salvatore said. A church employee saw a mustachioed white man in his 30s, about 5 feet 7, with dark brown hair, working on the pipe, and at first thought he was a maintenance man. She later realized he had stolen the pipe and called police. The man drove off in a small red pickup truck.

When the Rev. Robert J. Lysz was slain by an intruder inside St. Matthew Church on June 25, members of the priest's Forestville flock were left with many questions. Why did it happen? Who will lead the parish? Where will worship services be held? While most of the questions on the minds of parishioners were eventually answered, one remains. What will become of Sandy, the dog that Lysz loved so much? "I'm taking care of her right now at the rectory. We're waiting to see if there is a new pastor," said the Rev. Arthur Audet, who was named temporary administrator of St. Matthew's parish.

When I drive along Main Street in Farmington, I almost invariably slow down. I like to look at the houses and other buildings. The "scenic mile" south of Route 4 is one of the loveliest streets in the state, perhaps in the country. A major reason the street has retained its harmonious mix of handsome historic buildings is that it is in the heart of a local historic district. A historic district is a legal entity created by a vote of at least two-thirds of property owners. They agree that any exterior architectural changes that can be seen from a public way be reviewed by a local preservation commission.